


Phases

by RikuKingdomHearts3



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27568114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RikuKingdomHearts3/pseuds/RikuKingdomHearts3
Summary: Werewolves and vampires have always been at each other's throats. Thankfully the days of the old wars are long gone, but tensions between the two races are still high. Gladio on the other hand is a werewolf open to change. He doesn't mind vampires, so what happens when he bumps into a rather handsome man who may just be a vampire.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 14
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a new story I have been waiting to post for a while now! It's my first official Gladnis story!!! 
> 
> Thanks to GoodMorningMisterFear for the title and amitiel for beta reading!

The town that Gladio was visiting was rather quaint. It seemed simple and peaceful with aspects of historical and olden ways. Old fashioned styled street lamps lit the streets, and horse drawn carriages walked down the streets. A true old timey town that felt like he had stepped back in time. Of course as cool as that aspect would have been, he was thankful that was not the case.

The olden times were much more of a risk for him, a pure blooded werewolf. Back then his kind were hunted and killed even if they had done nothing wrong. Still today he knew he couldn't ignore hunters who still sought out werewolves and other supernaturals, but it was much less frequent then it had been.

Putting the worrisome thoughts aside he made his way down the main street of the town, observing the different stores and restaurants that were there. It was already half past noon and he needed some place to eat. It was all deciding where to go now.

He could see that there was a small café up ahead, and from where he was he could already smell the fresh pastries. They were a heavenly scent that could almost match his love for the taste of fresh meat. It would have to do then.

He walked further until he got to the door and opened it. Since he had been so focused on the scent, he had forgotten to look exactly where he was going and nearly bumped into someone who was trying to leave.

The man he bumped into grunted and backed up. "Do you mind looking where you are going?"

"Sorry, it's just that I-"

Gladio stopped talking when he actually started at the man standing in the doorway. Whomever this man was, he was by far the most handsome man Gladio had ever seen. He was just about nearly as tall as Gladio, maybe just a few inches short though, but he had a strong face with wonderful dirty blond hair. He had it gelled upwards which some would think was strange, but Gladio thought it gave the man style.

Though what he noticed next caught him off guard. The man's eyes underneath his shades, or more correctly his eye. His right eye, which was still glaring right at Gladio, was a striking pleasing green. The other eye though… he wanted to assume that it was also green but it was closed. His left eye was marred. The ugly scar covered the entire eye. Upon a closer look, aside from the marred scars that were most likely due to a burn, he could see different scars, lines that ran over it all.

" _Claws…"_ Gladio thought to himself. " _He was attacked by a werewolf. I'd recognize claw marks like that anywhere,"_ for a moment Gladio's thoughts drifted to his own scar over his eye. Though his eye was still fine compared to what had happened to the man, whatever it was must have been much more dire. " _Though… he doesn't smell like a werewolf, not even some low level half breed. He has barely any scent at all. Does that mean…"_

"Excuse me!" the man said again, his tone exasperated. Gladio only noticed now that he had a thick accent that made him sound very elegant. "Do you mind? Or are you just going to stand there like a complete idiot?"

"I uh, I'm sorry." Gladio stood to the side as he held the door open. "Guess I got pretty distracted there. Not everyday I run into a man like yourself."

With his one good eye he rolled it. "Like I haven't heard that before. You tourists have no manners whatsoever."

"Oh, so you're a local," Gladio replied, grinning slightly. Whoever this guy was, he sure did have an attitude, but that made him all the more mysterious. "Well maybe you could help me and show me around a little, that way I can be better acquainted with some better manners."

The man scoffed. "And what reasons should I give you that? You were the one who rudely crashed into me."

"And I want to make that up to you. Just name it and I'll show you I can be better," Gladio replied. "How about I start with introductions? My name is Gladio."

The stubborn man raised an eyebrow. "Gladio?"

"Short for Gladiolus."

"I figured as much," the man scoffed. "Just didn't take such a delicate name of a flower for a tall towering oaf."

Gladio would have winced if he didn't expect something like that. As a child he had plenty of people tease and mock him because of his name, especially when he hit his growth spurt. He was quite the opposite of a pretty and delicate flower.

Though he felt like this man was trying to tick him off, he wasn't letting it get to him. He was more intrigued by him if anything, and when he set his mind to something he wasn't going to give up. Maybe he was equally stubborn in that regard, but he wasn't letting this guy go, or he was going to give it his all at least.

"Everyone has something about their name that makes them who they are, what about you? What's yours?"

"I don't have time for this," the man muttered before turning to head down the sidewalk.

Gladio quickly jogged over to catch up to him. "Hey come on. I gave you my name. You talk about me not having manners, so wouldn't you say it's awfully rude to leave someone without introducing themselves?"

The blond stopped and glared at him. For only having one functioning eye, he still could glare harshly and come off rather intimidating. Though a moment passed and he sighed. "You turned the tables on me… very well then. My name is Ignis. Does that satisfy you?"

"Ignis," Gladio repeated, rolling the name slowly off his tongue. "Very fancy sounding."

"You have my name now, so if you are finished, I will leave now."

"Hey come on. Can't we talk things through? I hate leaving a bad impression on such a handsome guy."

Ignis scowled, his eyebrows becoming sharper as he stepped closer to Gladio. He poked rather harshly at his chest before speaking. "I have no reason to speak to you, nor any want. Even if you try playing courteous, it will get you nowhere. I especially do not wish to socialize any further with someone of _your_ kind."

Every muscle in Gladio's body tensed up. He knew he had sensed something strange about Ignis before, but he had been too distracted to confirm his thoughts. Now as he looked at the man again, he did notice the pale complexion that he had, and when he coupled it with the strange scent it all made sense.

"So you're a vampire," Gladio replied, lowering his voice to not draw too much attention to those walking by.

Ignis clicked his tongue. "Took you that long to figure it out? I would think your kind would have picked up my scent, or lack of a scent, sooner than that."

"Well maybe your good looks distracted me from taking in your scent," Gladio replied, trying his best to keep a level head during their conversation. He still was curious about Ignis and no small banter was going to push him away. He wasn't that easily shoved around after all.

Ignis still seemed unfazed by Gladio's attempts. "I already stated I do not wish to socialize. Now for the last time, leave me alone or I will have to take more drastic measures. I am fairly certain you don't wish to cause a scene."

Ignis had his hand hovering near his jacket pocket. No doubt he had either a weapon or something else in there he could use. There was the small chance that it was silver, an unfortunate weakness of werewolves. With that in mind, Gladio backed off from Ignis, feeling a slight weight in his chest.

From looks alone, he was drawn to Ignis. Though he knew he had to go on more than just looks to get to know someone, he just felt something about him. There was something mysterious about this vampire that Gladio wished he could learn more about. Unfortunately, it just so happened that the one time he was interested in a vampire, the vampire had a complete grudge against werewolves.

Gladio wasn't too sure why that was though. It had been decades since the last war between the two races broke out. It was long before Gladio was even born. But then again vampires could live for a long time. A vampire like Ignis, he could have lived through it, and he could have still carried the memories.

With nothing else that he could say, he watched Ignis turn away from him. "Glad you have some sense of understanding."

Gladio sighed to himself as he watched the vampire walk further down the street. He stayed where he was, continuing to watch until Ignis was no longer in sight. It was hard to say what it was, but he felt a pain in his chest. Something tightened after Ignis was gone, like he had made the wrong choice. He didn't know what else he could have done though. Ignis was a vampire after all. Even if he was fine with vampires and other supernaturals, he couldn't change the way Ignis thought about his kind.

" _Well I guess there isn't anything else I can do about it…"_ Gladio thought to himself before he finally returned to what he had planned to do at the start. Though now he knew the rest of his day was going to be filled with that feeling in his chest. No matter what he thought, he knew he couldn't change a thing about it, but at the same time he was glad for the encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed the start!! See you all next time!!


	2. Chapter 2

The nights that preceded a full moon were always a struggle for Gladio. He could feel his senses heightening, preparing for that peak night where every sense and strength would be at its max. It was nothing to worry about though, he had trained to keep control of his senses all of his life. He knew how to keep himself from going full wolf.

But it didn't mean he completely confined himself to nothing. If he wanted to let his inner wolf come out a bit more, he saw no harm since he had his control. With it in mind he left the hotel he was staying at and breathed in deeply.

He could smell all the wonders of the night life around him, the wonders of the night life. From various little critters nearby to the few people who also chose to roam, to the nearby pub that was very active with a mix of different liquors.

Though he could have gone for a late night drink, he brought his attention elsewhere. The thought of a nice walk around the park was what was calling him. With the town being old fashioned, the park in the center of town was really one to write home about. It was simple but beautiful at the same time, a great place for one to walk in the middle of the night.

He trekked his way out there, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. It was fairly quiet on the path that he walked, but soon enough his senses picked up something. He came to a halt and took in a deep breath, figuring out what it was that he was smelling.

There were other werewolves nearby. A pack of werewolves.

Gladio wasn't too sure what a pack was doing opposite the direction of the center of town, but he figured it was none of his business. If it wasn't his family or pack then he had no reason to pry. But what was more concerning was the sounds he was picking up from that direction.

He could hear chuckling, and it was not the type that was used from hearing a joke. It sounded much more intimidating and cold. Right away he felt the faint feeling that something was wrong. Picking up on the scent of the others, he could tell that there were at least three werewolves up ahead, and the chuckling was still constant.

He stayed quiet, trying better to listen into what was being said, still having that uncertain feeling. As he came closer he knew that he could be sensed by the other werewolves, but he was already listening in and there was no going back at this point.

"So come on," one voice said. "What's it going to be? We really don't want to have to wait all night."

"I told you a thousand times before, I am not leaving this town."

Gladio's eyes widened. That was Ignis's voice! " _What on Eos is that guy doing with other werewolves?"_ Gladio slowed his pace to make sure he didn't alert the other werewolves and instead tried to listen into more of the conversation.

"Well we gave you a choice… time after time we tried to give you a chance to leave. But if you aren't going to take our _gracious_ offer then we have no choice," one werewolf growled.

"Yeah, you caused enough trouble for us now you'll have to pay!"

Without caring to hear what would be said next, Gladio raced forward towards the group. He didn't even stop for a moment to consider just what it was he was doing or what he was planning. All he knew was he had to stop whatever was about to start, even if he didn't know the full history as to why it was happening in the first place. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Ignis, glaring down at the other werewolves. The three others on the other hand were staring at him confused, trying to make sense of it.

Gladio growled at them, baring his fangs. "Back off."

"Whoa whoa dude," one said as he held up his hands. "Have you got your head on wrong or something? You realize the vampire is behind you, right?"

Gladio glanced back to see that Ignis was still standing there, his eyes wide but full of frustration. Without even saying anything to him he went back to looking at the other werewolves. "Doesn't matter. You shouldn't be starting up anything. You really want to be the start of some other long war between races?"

The one werewolf who seemed to be the leader of the group growled. "We don't want to start _anything_ , but it's him who is the issue! So caught up in past events, thinking everything he says is the most important thing! Treating all of us like we are scum!"

"Yeah! The little parasite deserves to die!" the second shouted.

Gladio stood his ground, surprised at the same time that Ignis wasn't saying anything. He was standing there, watching them all quietly. His expression was unwavering, only slightly moving his one good eye between Gladio and the other three.

"He attacked us before!" the third one yelled. "We have a right to get back at him! He deserves well more than only one destroyed eye!"

As much as Gladio knew he should have listened to see if that was the truth, he wasn't having any of it. "I'll ask you again to back off. I won't let any fights break out."

"And who are you to tell us that we can't fight?" the leader scoffed.

"Gladio. Gladiolus Amicitia."

Gladio smiled as he watched the three others' faces pale. "A A-Amicitia? Oh fuck that!"

"No way we're going to deal with you!"

"Let's get out of here! No one said we had to deal with a Amicitia!"

Gladio watched the three scamper off into the night, running as far away as they could. Once they were out of sight, he turned around and was thankful that Ignis still stood there. "Hey, so you alright?"

"And just what the bloody hell was that about?!" Ignis snapped, hissing as he bared his fangs.

"What? I saved you from those guys? Just doing what I could to help."

"I had it under control! I did not need any outsider interference!"

"You were outnumbered by two, I know you think you are hot stuff and all, but you shouldn't get ahead of yourself." Even though he had just said that, Gladio's own thoughts were already too far ahead to stop. Before he could even process what he was saying, he let it leave his lips. "Though it did mean I got to recuse a rather handsome damsel in distress, so I would say it's worth it."

He was shoved to the ground within the blink of the eye. Ignis was on top of him, pinning him down with strength that Gladio had not expected. His right eye was fuming with anger, glowing a vivid red.

"You. Take. That. Back. That is by far the most insulting thing I have ever heard!"

Gladio kept his cool, having been thrown into many situations during his younger years. Not only had he been known for getting into trouble, but his own father made sure Gladio could be prepared for anything. He had to be calm and ready to approach any situation without getting angry right away. The better control over his emotions the better control he would have over his werewolf form.

"What? I was only trying to tease. Besides those runts ran off. You got nothing more to worry about."

"I was handling it myself!"

Even if he knew what he should do, there were still times where he let his cool slip up. He could feel the frustration seeping into his mind. "By being backed into a corner by three werewolves days from a full moon? Yeah, really sounds like you were handling it."

Gladio pushed Ignis off him easily and watched the man fall back to the ground. He winced as he heard Ignis let out a grunt, not actually wanting to hurt him so much. But before he could say anything more, Ignis was back on his feet and lunged at him.

The two tumbled back to the ground, with Gladio trying to keep Ignis from digging his nails into his arm. He had to give Ignis some credit; he was actually persistent in what he was trying to do. But even with that, Gladio wasn't about to let him win.

"I never asked for your help! I do not need any help, especially from a filthy mutt like yourself!"

Growling, Gladio flipped Ignis onto the ground, now being the one looming over the other. "There are a lot of insults I'll take about me being a werewolf, but never, _never_ insinuate that I am a mutt. I am a Amicitia! We are proud purebloods, and I will not let you say such a thing against my family!"

Ignis was still glaring with hate, but slowly a crude smile found its way onto his face. "Oh, is that your trigger? Your family heritage? Well, it seems I have found a weakness in you. Who would have thought words could actually hurt you?"

"When it comes to my family, I do anything to protect it," Gladio growled deeply.

"Family," Ignis scoffed. "What a _sweet_ thing to say. Too bad I don't care."

There was a flash of something and suddenly Gladio felt a strong stinging sensation on his forehead. He stumbled, backing off of Ignis, placing a hand to his forehead. He felt something warm against his palm, and his forehead still felt like it was burning.

He pulled back his hand slowly and saw what he theorized. There was still that strong stinging, even though he was no longer touching the fresh wound. Moving his eyes over to Ignis, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. He couldn't believe what it was that he was seeing, and it made him feel sick to his stomach. Ignis was standing there, in an offensive position, holding a blade in his hands. With the moonlight shining down on it, he could see the way the light glinted off of it.

"A silver blade?! Why the fuck do you have a silver blade on you?" Gladio shouted.

"To fend off beasts like yourself!" Ignis hissed as he extended his arm, holding the blade out. "I have a right to my own self defense."

Gladio reached up and lightly pressed his fingers to the wound. He flinched upon the pain that it brought once more. Thankfully Ignis had only cut him with the blade rather than stabbing him with it. The silver had burned against his skin, and most likely he would get a scar from it, but he would live at least. But that didn't make it any more reasonable.

"You can't just go attacking werewolves with silver blades! You know it could kill me!"

"Exactly the reason to keep it on hand," Ignis hissed harshly. It looked like he was going to charge and attack again, but suddenly there were two figures, one on each side of Ignis.

Gladio blinked and now saw that it was two people restraining Ignis from moving. He could only assume they two were vampires from their lack of normal scent and their pale complexion. One was blond and the other hair as dark as the night.

"Whoa Ignis! You got to cool it!" the raven haired boy replied.

"Yeah Iggy! You really want to be the start of some big fight or something?"

"I would dare not start such things. It's always his kind that are the cause of all the trouble! Don't try and deny that!"

"Look, we get that werewolves have caused issues before, but you can't go picking fights with every single werewolf that comes along!" the blond added.

Gladio watched as the two other vampires kept their holds on Ignis, and after a little bit of struggling, he finally sighed and lowered his head. The blond took the blade from Ignis and sheathed it, holding on to it after that.

The one with the darker hair let go of Ignis once he saw that he wasn't going to do anything more. His eyes narrowed at Gladio. "What the hell?! You actually managed to injure him!"

"Dude," the blond interjected. "I think Noct and I can both agree you seriously gotta chill for tonight. No more knives for a week."

The one known as Noct moved closer to Gladio, looking a little concerned. "You're not hurt are you? Like you don't think it's too severe?"

"I don't know," Gladio muttered. "I was slashed across my forehead. Can't really see the damage too well."

"Hm…" Noct hummed before looking back at Ignis. "I think he'll have to come back with us, and _you'll_ be the one to tend to the wound since you're the one who caused it."

"But Noct, I was only-"

"Ignis!" Noct snapped suddenly. "I get you hate werewolves. We all know that. But I'm not letting you get away with killing one, _regardless_ of the past."

Ignis opened his mouth to say something else but he closed it a moment later. He glared to Gladio and then to the pavement. "Very well."

Noct looked back to Gladio, offering a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry about Ignis. But let us make it up to you and get that wound looked at."

Gladio narrowed his eyes, trying to sense for anything he could distrust in this guy. But he seemed much more genuine and calmer than Ignis had ever acted. The blond also fit along with that friendly aura.

Going with his gut he decided to give this a chance. Besides it would give him more time to be around Ignis and figure out what his deal was. It was clear he had a strong distaste for werewolves, which was usually seen in older vampires. But the reasons always varied from vampire to vampire for an exact reason they hated the other kind.

Slowly, Gladio followed behind the three vampires, keeping his distance since he could see how rigid Ignis had become. He breathed out slowly, trying to calm himself down from the fight that had just transpired moments ago. It all seemed to blur in his mind how quickly it started and ended. He had to admit though, Ignis was quite the strong fighter and Gladio really did like that in a man. Even if Ignis had tried to kill him, there was part of him that had to congratulate him for making such an attempt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look at that Noctis and Prompto are here now! At least they can get Ignis to stop before things get too dicey lol. 
> 
> Thank you all for enjoying so far! See you next time!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the final chapter! I wonder how this is all going to play out in the end! Only one way to find out!!

"So," the blond started, "We probably need some introductions the more I think about it. What's your name, big guy?"

Gladio let out a huff of air. "First, don't call me 'big guy'. Second. It's Gladio."

"Gladio, got it," the blond nodded with a smile. "Well I'm Prompto! And that's Noctis."

Noctis waved slightly. "And it seems you've already been acquainted with Ignis."

"Yeah I have," Gladio replied. "Quite the charmer too."

Ignis scoffed. "No amount of flattery is going to get you anywhere."

"It was worth a shot at least."

The rest of the walk was met with silence. They headed to the edge of town but turned down an alleyway at the last moment. When reaching the end, Noctis stepped forward and muttered something under his breath. Some of the bricks faded away, and a secret passage was now revealed.

Ignis turned around to glare at Gladio. "I think our _guest_ should go first. That way we can make sure there will be no attacks from behind."

"Me? Attack? You are the one who attacked me first!"

"You stepped over the line!"

"I was saving your ass from those other werewolves!"

"I never asked for your help!"

Prompto was suddenly standing in between the two of them. He held up his hands and shook his head. "Okay whoa, slow down there. We can all talk about this when we get back to the house. But please do not kill each other right now!"

"I'm not the one trying to kill anyone…" Gladio muttered as he crossed his arms.

"I think just to make sure Ignis doesn't get knife happy again, you should go first. We can keep a better eye on him that way," Noctis replied.

"Fine," Gladio replied bluntly, not wanting to let the argument draw out any farther. "I assume it's just a straight path?"

"Yeah, so just keep moving forward," Ignis whispered quietly.

Gladio hummed before he pressed forward, not trying to get too annoyed by the soured attitude that had filtered between all of them. He kept on walking though, trying to keep his mind on other things. Eventually they did come out the other side of the tunnel, and Gladio could see a house surrounded by plenty of trees. It was a good secluded place for vampires to live.

From his side, he saw Noctis move up beside him and then proceed further towards the house. "Okay first things first. We get you inside and tend to that wound. And like I said before, Ignis, you are going to be the one to do it. And no arguing or complaining, you got that?"

Ignis sighed and nodded. "Understood."

The four headed inside, and Gladio took in the sights. Never having been to a vampire's house, this was quite a lot to take in all at once. But it was what he expected with the windows covered in black drapes to block out any sunlight, and a rather old fashioned feel to the layout and furniture.

Gladio turned around once he heard the door close. "So where are we doing this?"

"Kitchen," Noctis answered. "You go and sit down with Ignis and Prompto and I will get the supplies."

"Noct are you sure? Leaving Ignis alone with him again could-"

"We took his knife already," Noctis cut in. "And besides Ignis already agreed to what I told him. You know what would happen if he disobeyed my orders."

"True true," Prompto replied as he went to follow Noctis down the hallway.

Now left alone with Ignis, Gladio moved slowly to the kitchen, his eyes locked on Ignis the entire time. Ignis, though, never said a word and just followed closely until they arrived and he took his own seat at the table.

Gladio decided to sit across from him. "So don't mind me asking, but you take orders from the kid? Unless of course he's the older one."

Ignis sent a quick glare to Gladio before he closed his eyes. His expression loosened, and he let out another sigh. "It is not that. He is the prince of vampires, and I swore loyalty to his clan. Therefore I am under his orders when he chooses to give them."

"Whoa wait a minute, that kid is the prince of vampires? Like _the_ prince?"

"Is there some other prince you've heard of?"

"Nah, I know some history about vampires and the royal family, just not details like their ages or what they look like. Stuff like that."

Ignis huffed. "I wouldn't expect you to know anything about my kind."

"Well I don't see you spouting knowledge about werewolf packs," Gladio grumbly, still sore from the insult that Ignis had given to him before.

Ignis pushed up his shades and leaned back in his chair. "Just like you, I know the very basics. I have actually heard of your last name and…" Ignis held his breath for a moment, letting the silence past by before he exhaled. "I apologize for my choice of words before. Your family name is well known, even to vampires… and they are an honorable pack."

"Thanks…" Gladio replied as he let out a long breath of air.

Gladio mulled over what he wanted to say next, but Noctis and Prompto came back a moment later with a small med kit in hand. Noctis placed it at the table and took a step away. "Okay there are the supplies… now you deal with that… Prom and I will be in the next room playing video games."

Once again the two walked off without another word. Gladio stared until they left the room and then he turned his attention back to Ignis. He saw the man slowly taking out the supplies needed to clean and check the wound.

"So," Gladio started, wanting to not let the air become awkward again. "You ready to take care of this then?"

"It's only a minor wound … Now please, do not squirm. This may sting a little."

Gladio smiled softly. "Well, I think the only one who would squirm here is you."

Ignis's shoulders tensed up. His eye darted away as he let out a sharp breath. "No, I will not. Do not try and insulate such things.

"I'm just thinking of you. Shouldn't I be concerned for you? Isn't the blood setting any of you off?"

"A good vampire is trained to resist the urges from just smelling blood. It doesn't affect me at all."

"If you say so," Gladio replied as he sat up straight. "Go ahead then. But if I can ask, if that kid is the vampire prince, who's the other kid?"

"First of all, do not refer to Noct as 'that kid' and secondly, Prompto is his significant other," Ignis replied simply as he took a step forward. He held a cloth now that had been dipped in the disinfectant. "Now hush, I need my focus."

"Sure sure," Gladio grinned. "Take in all the focus you can get."

Ignis scoffed, rolling his eye before he finally leaned in close. Now his face was much closer to Gladio's, and he could almost feel the heavy exhales from the man. He stayed still though, taking in Ignis's features now that he was close and not in the middle of a fight with him.

Everything about Ignis was beautiful, even the scar hidden under his shades. Sure, Gladio had the thought to question it, but he really didn't want to upset Ignis when he was, once again, face to face with him.

Even with the scar that was hidden under the shades, Gladio found beauty.

"And just what do you think you are staring at?" Ignis huffed as he dapped the cloth against Gladio's forehead.

"What do you think? There's only one good looking sight around for me to look at."

With an exasperated sigh Ignis whipped the cloth onto the table. "You're insufferable."

"Hey, a man's gotta try."

"Even if you know that I completely despise you?"

"You don't even know me. Would you at least give me a chance?" Gladio asked, almost coming close to pleading. Even if Ignis had given him the cold shoulder since the moment they met, he had the feeling there was more to him than that. There was something perhaps kinder underneath the hard outer shell.

"I'm afraid not. I have no interest in getting to know any werewolves," Ignis replied as he went to clean up around Gladio's forehead where some of the blood had dripped.

For a moment the two of them went quiet, with Gladio watching how Ignis looked down at him. He felt a quick tingling sensation as Ignis's fingers traced over his forehead. But the moment didn't last long and Ignis pulled away.

"Not even me?" Gladio replied. "I promise I am not like the others. What happened before… I was only defending my family's name."

"I understand that, but that still won't change my mind."

"What, you think you're too old for me or something?" Gladio laughed, trying his best to lighten up the situation.

Ignis scowled at him before moving back to sit in his chair to close up the medical kit. "I am not that old, thank you very much."

"Well I don't know how vampire ages work, so…" Gladio leaned forward. "Care to indulge me?"

Ignis stared at him before closing his eye. He shook his head, showing that he still seemed to not care all too much about conversation. But for whatever reason he actually gave an answer. "Three hundred and fourteen. Still very young in terms of vampires."

Gladio grinned, stretching his lips into a wide smile. "So you could say that you might be as sweet as _pi_?"

Ignis choked over nothing, pressing a hand to his face afterwards. "You really don't like to give up do you?"

"I do what I can."

"Well, I am still not giving you a chance," Ignis replied before abruptly getting up from his chair and storming down the hallway.

Now that Gladio was alone he could let out his own series of long sighs. He never could have imagined he would have gotten roped into this. But here he was, at a vampire's house and still having strong feelings towards him. It was the first time he had ever felt so strong to get to know someone, and he wasn't ready to back down. If he could just get to know Ignis more, it would help in the overall view he had. There were still so many questions and thoughts he had, but there was the thought that he wouldn't get any of them based on how Ignis acted towards him.

Gladio sighed as he stood up. "Maybe it is a loss cause after all…"

He turned to head to the door when he heard footsteps behind him. "I wouldn't say it's all lost."

Looking behind, he saw that Noctis was standing there. "Oh? And what makes you say that? He already showed that it was clear he doesn't like me. He said it himself that he despises me.."

"That's just how he is on the outside," Noctis replied as he moved closer. "Ignis he… he's had a rough past. He was around when the tension between werewolves and vampires were much more severe."

"I got that much," Gladio said. "Was it really that bad?"

"You probably have noticed that… uh well you know…" Noctis pointed to his left eye. "Werewolves were the cause of that during one of the many battles. Both the claw marks and the burn."

"Shit… I figured werewolves had some involvement but I never would have guessed… Makes sense why he is so hostile though."

"There's more than that. I know I shouldn't be saying anything, as it is his story, but he's been acting differently ever since he encountered you. Not like how he normally acts around other werewolves."

Gladio crossed his arms. "And is that supposed to be a good thing?"

"I want to hope it is," Noctis stepped closer and lowered his voice. "I only want to see the best for him as he has taken care of me since I was younger. But… how do I begin this?"

Noctis breathed in deeply as he closed his eyes. There was silence between the two of them for only a moment before he spoke again. "Ignis used to have someone else. Someone he loved. But they died in the same battle that cost him his eye. With losing someone he loved, and the cause being werewolves, he hardened himself to be more stubborn than the rest of us."

Now everything was making a whole lot more sense. The cold and harsh attitude whenever he tried to be flirty, it all was connected. Ignis had closed off that side of him most likely when he lost that other person years ago. It was the only way Gladio could see it from what Noctis was saying.

"I see… I had no idea it was something like that. And he still hasn't gotten over it?"

"Ignis is stubborn… it's hard for him to get over something even if it did happen centuries ago. But with you, I think there may be a chance. Help him, please." Nocits placed a hand over his heart, looking at Gladio with a pleading gaze. "I ask you this as his friend. I only want to see him happy again. Like truly happy. He's been suffering with a broken heart for so long. He just needs someone that will care for him."

"Well that all depends on him. You think he really is going to turn around that easily?"

Noctis smirked. "You were the one that was flirting with him, you tell me."

Gladio smirked in return. "You have a point. I'll give it another shot."

"He's out in the back, just follow the hallway and you'll find the door."

Gladio nodded and started to make his way back there when Noctis reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck, don't let his stubborn attitude stop you."

"Oh I won't let that stop me. I got this. Trust me." Gladio gave a thumbs up before he continued walking.

He passed down various doorways, one of which was open, and he caught a glance of Prompto laying on the couch, presumably waiting for Noctis to return. He kept on going through until he reached the end, and to his left he saw that one door led to the outside.

Slowly he opened the door and looked around the backyard patio. He saw Ignis there, his back to the house as he stared out at the nighttime sky. His arms were wrapped around himself as he stood almost perfectly still.

Gladio stepped a bit closer before he made the effort to clear his throat.

Ignis whipped around, and his eyes were wide and glaring again. "What is it with you? Can't you take a hint!?"

"Hey… I just want to talk. Can't we just do that?" Gladio asked as gently as he could.

"Don't know what we would have to talk about? I cleaned your wound and that's all there is to it. I see no reason to talk any further."

"Can a guy just get to know another guy? That's all I'm asking for. No need to be so stubborn about it."

"I'm not stubborn!" Ignis snapped.

" _Suuure_ you aren't," Gladio purred. "Come on, just take a little talk, that's all I am asking."

"I still see no reason to. I have nothing more to say. I gave you my apologies over my actions before, and that was all that was needed."

Gladio stepped forward again. "I still want to get to know you. The you that's hiding under all that cold."

Ignis turned away. "I don't know what you are trying to insinuate. This is who I am, and there's nothing more you need to know."

"I can tell there is more to you. I didn't pay attention to it before, but I can see that you're hurting underneath."

Ignis's shoulders tensed up. For a moment he looked back at Gladio, but soon enough he stepped backwards. "Don't say such things. It's rude to assume that about someone else."

"Ignis…" Gladio started. "You seem like a really nice guy, all I want to do is get to know you. There isn't anything wrong with that."

"I just…" Ignis started, his voice breaking for the first time in all of their conversations. "I can't."

"And why can't you?" Gladio asked.

"I'm not doing this. If Noct put you up to this, just forget all about that. He has no right to pry into my personal feelings."

"He's just being a good friend. It would be good if you saw that," Gladio replied.

Ignis turned away from Gladio, rubbing his hands slowly up and down on his arms. He started to pace slowly but didn't come around close to Gladio. He could already sense the tension in the air coming from Ignis. Somehow, he was managing to break down the wall, and he was getting closer to reaching what could be the real Ignis. He just had to tread carefully and choose his words wisely.

"Ignis, I know how it feels to feel like you couldn't do enough. The regret of loss-"

"How in the bloody hell would you even know about a thing like that?!" Ignis snapped, his eyes furiously swirling with anger and sadness.

"How do you think I got this other scar?" Gladio pointed to the one that was over his eye. "It wasn't from some skilled knife wielding vampire if that's what you are wondering."

It was hard, but he could have sworn he saw Ignis's mouth twitch slightly. There was a smile that almost happened! If that wasn't progress then he didn't know what else was.

"Humans?" Ignis asked after a beat.

Gladio nodded. "Damn hunters had the jump on us, lost my mother in the process, and this is what I have to remember the event."

"I see then… I apologize again for my assumptions."

"It's cool, but you see I understand."

Stepping closer to Ignis he watched carefully as the man came to a stop, actually letting him get near. "You don't have to keep your pain to yourself. I'm here if you want someone to share that pain."

"Why…" Ignis breathed out slowly. He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't understand why you would. I've treated you terribly and been hostile this entire time. I don't know why you want to keep at this."

"Because I was always told to not judge a book by its cover. And I can see you got a pretty thick cover, but I am willing to move past that to see the contents inside."

A small broken sound escaped from Ignis's lips, and Gladio took his chance. He reached out and put an arm around Ignis and pulled him in close. He could feel Ignis shudder initially, but he didn't resist this time. He stayed there against Gladio, trying to not let his breathing become too ragged.

"Thank you…" Ignis whispered, his voice nearly cracking.

"Welcome," Gladio replied gently. "Thanks for giving me a chance."

Ignis nodded without a word and kept on resting against Gladio. The two of them stood there, waiting in the silence until Ignis finally stood back up and wiped at his good eye. "Forgive me for my actions. I don't know what came over me."

"You don't gotta hide it. We all get emotional from time to time. But like I said, I'm here for you."

"Again thank you… Gladio," Ignis replied with the nod of his head. "I have misjudged you… your soul is full of kindness and compassion, something I thought I would never need again in my life.

"It's no problem. I'm glad we had this talk." Gladio then wrapped an arm around Ignis and grinned at him. "So how about I get a piece of that sweet _pi_?"

Ignis snorted, and now that Gladio was right by him, he could see how red Ignis's cheeks were becoming. But this time he didn't look angered or annoyed, instead he looked as if he was trying not to laugh.

"Insufferable," he said with the slightest smirk. "Completely insufferable."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this story. Thank you all so much for checking it out and seeing what it was all about. Maybe one day I will make more of it, whether it's about Ignis's past or stuff about Prompto and Noctis. But that is all for one day. 
> 
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos and everything!!   
> See you in the next story!


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